New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-06
!" PROBLEMS OFIHE CENSUS"
TIE SOCIAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION.
OPENING ADDRESS AT SARATOGA BY THE PREsI-
DENT, CARROLL d. wRIGHT-PAPERs THAT ARE



TO kpAD.
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SARATOGA Sept b.-The American socal Science A.
sociaon met here tonight the Bethesda Parish House
There was good OF the members OF the AS
sociation and the summer residents Of Saratoga
The opening address was dcliveroi by tho president
OF the association, Carroll ID. Wright. United States
Commissioner Of Labor who took "Problems OF tho
Census for his subject After abiding TO the gradual
widening the scope OF censuscs Mr. Wright discussed
at considerable length the census OF 1870 the Va"o Oh
which he SAID cannot be estimated though he expressed
doubt whether would be eIIe feGt for long term
OF years, generation perhaps. to again conduct the
decen nal on so comprehensive basis REFER
ring to the collection Of industrial statistics as feature
of the United States not In other coun'
tries he said that the theory involved was not generally
considered sound, but expressed the belief that any
elaborate attempt by the Federal Government to secure
information OF economic Importance would be- as IT had
BEEN attended with isuccess aud that much harm had
been unintenonaly done since 1910 through the indus
trial features Of the Federal He stated and de-
Tended bis views on this point as follows:
The industrial schedule OF the Federal ceueus since 1t
nsc and Including that Of 1910 has contained inquiries
relating to capital invested material or stock used
snoyes n the leading Industries Of the country. To
these simple inquiries the manufacturers have, from
they have supplied intor ion as to all the points In.
Oyed except C1psi ss sSplS S'ni fos
capital invested In this form lies the
defect In response to thus ta e1 p saI
in and used In plant of whatever nature and "a working
capital That no has gwen nothing more mas NO, peen
been the result This can be more CLEARLY Indicated
proportions as they have occurred simply putting them
Into round numbers but preserving true relations.
,ablsS@ents, each producing 100000 worth Of pro.
single year. the total vane Of the product OF
Tho capital invested OF establishment NO. Is
81 900 this amonnt OF money having been paid IN
by the propetOrs being sufficient In all respects 0
plant Of all kinds tools, implements, ana WORKING
capital for the PROJECTION OF ooo wor dort .,
a but has only S3UO,OOO actually invested IL Dor
rows annually I'm ass o OF sspa EsaS
hshment No actually owns 100000 OF capital ln-
Establishment No. uses $20o0OO OF its own capital
and borrows SS00,OO0. Each OF these rstablshnents
jne tue census year. The result for the four Is
~. 100000 OF capital actually paid in and S2oOOOOO
capital paid in would be the whole amount OF capital
invested returned The relation then stands S2o0oOOO
OF capital invested producing $i,OOoOOO worth OF pro-
Duct the actual fact being aud fact which mas never
yet apPen5ed IN I ny te ca 81 the
worth OF goods nisperfecty apparent on THIS
calculations based upon the must ne vicious in
toto SiOOOOUO worth or product In the gwen
Industry cannot be secured by the employment OF
~ ODnoO OF capital the necessary capital being
81 100000. One need not study this simple problem
very long enable him understand that one OF tho
chief factors disturbances. OF antagonsD, or of
misunderstanding between labor and capital has grown
from this mlslscd crm of capital invested No attempt
been made In this country unll that put iorth
the Census OF Massachusetts for oS5 to correct the
egregous error Cret capital 1t Is submitted II used,
essential To secure certain product as the cap
ital owned by establishment Itself Leaving
out the OF the OF borrowed
CAPITAL of the fictitious or Inflated value wch Is gwen
product by sucn anI limiting ourselves u me
purely economic relations OF capria and product III
bntc been done by the old method OF proceed
required TO secure given product In each 81 the lead
ing industries OF aoouniry Is within the awy OF the
mani Itefur ma
own light The manufacturer tells you at once that
slO0o.0OO Of capital cannot produc SiooOovo worth
OF goods The conclusive TO his statement Is that
the return he has made lie theh tes you tnat
census statistics vicious and he IL correct ~ hs par
tcuar instance. II you attempt 10 correct this error ~
asking him 10 account Tor his whole capal tnht palo
In and that borrowed In fact all the capa wbich ue
Uses 10 secure gwen product. he anagoniZes the work
OF the State By saying that YOU are pry ing INTO MS p
affairs. lie does not perceive that ne mas necrlVru
moi only himself aud his employees but the public
generally and that every argument conclusion or ue-
duction based upon the statistics rep"rted IA giving the
capital Invested in manufacturing. Is false In all us
elements aud conse iuenty exerts vicious influence III
The dincnty which have stated Is not tho only COM
poaron which exists. For instance man goes Into ths
bnsu-ss OF manufacturing NE :" soods Min n.ts u
capital. say $1,000, bat lie has an excellent credit
lie purchases raw material and all his supplies on long
time three four six months. hut sells the produc: OF
his establishment for cash or Its equivalent III hs
Of goods I'm a given year having but - 900 actually
invested In all census statistics this would be the only
sum that would appear while s20O,OOO would appear
Is the value OF the product Tue truth Is he mas
borrowed OF his own eustSmers spfcio9t capital GI
These illustrations sufficient TO show the ylclovsnoss
Of all statements winch have yet Appeared 10 TINS
country, whether In my own reports or elsewhere
relative TO capital invested and It's product. IN Tue
various leading Industries IL does not matter where
capital used In the production OF goods comes from.
whether II be paid In Nv the propretors oil an establish
meni whether be borrowed by them or whether IL be
ihe result long time purchases of materials 40 long as
all these elements of capital are essential to secure
gwen product. they constitute capital Invested aud
should he covered by census Inquiry INTO Industrial
The only yay 10 secure the results of industrial
census bring the inquiries to simple easily under
stood forrs involving cts relieved Oh ~,
These inquiries, u seems 70 mo- may De Halted
census should ascertain. First capital Invested in
Industry, the term capital Invested COMPROMISING
stock or raw material uscdi third. the gross quantity
aud value OF articles manufactured rs represented by
their selling yaue fourth tho number or partners or
stockholders the largest smallest aud average number
persons employed dstn tulshcd as to sex adults and
children; fth. tho total wages paid during the year.
distinguishing also as to SEX adults ana children; sxth
greatest capacity for production of the establishments
seventh. the number OF weeks In operation during the
believe there any need OF extending the inquiries
Perhaps the greatest difficulty which confronts the
federal census tkcr. and which offers the least posi-
by OF solving problems. is TO be found 10 the agrcut
localities differ so widely IN their character aud kind
that any single schedule framed to comprehend them al
total and quantity OF the great staple products.
to be s Of the OF
ershp. entirely within the possibilities OF census
taking without enlarging the neu OF Opcralohs Sucn
problems.ought 70 he readily solved Census work be-
coming I'd complicated, as all these great
questions aud nearer To the people how
Important IL Ii that the whole OF census taking
should DO reduced TO systematic forms and methods.
The United States cannot do II all, and do IL we'll The
country too large to admit OF exte ided Inquiries
through the methods OF enumeration The States should
enlist the work. aud they could do IL generally with
much expense through their established machinery.
They should he called upon by the federal government
but aided TO the extent OF the results furnished to do
things ut short intervals relative 10 the enumera
ton OF the people, tho ascortaning OF products, the
ownership OF land, and maybe halfascore OF leading
features the federal Itself being confined TO those
things which reach the whole country aud which
may be called purely national topics such system,
the operation OF the States, would not only
simplify labor but would reduce the burden In many
respects and would certainly remove much OF tho irra
ton which exists whenever the Is taken: and
further simplifcation should be reached. as have
indicated. through special investgations
The association will listen to papers written by It's
members tomorro Wednesday. Thursday and Friday.
The department OF Education will have Its papers lead
o-morrow, preceded by address from Thomas Won't
worth Higginson the chairman OF the department Tho